


Fate and Friendship

by ButtercupPrincess



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Agreste Family Drama, Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Dupain-Cheng Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Growing up with the miraculous, Happy Ending, Mystery, Solving the mystery of Emilie Agreste, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-22 18:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15587868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButtercupPrincess/pseuds/ButtercupPrincess
Summary: Adrien may have been fated to become the holder of the black cat miraculous but never before had someone become a user at the tender age of six. Luckily he has his Mother to guide him, the kind-hearted baker's daughter to ground him and a mischevious kwami to keep him up to no good. When his mother disappears it is up to him to find her. Luckily Plagg knows the perfect candidate to become his polka dotted partner.





	1. Excitable 6-year-old Adrien

At six years old Adrien didn’t have any clear memories of his uncle Johnathan. He was a historian who traveled the world for his work. Despite his absence in Adrien life his Mamans excitement for her brother returning to Paris was infectious. Adrien looked forward to meeting him. It didn’t hurt his mother had told him endless stories about his uncles' adventures, they often read the letters and postcards he sent together. 

Adrien felt like he was waiting to meet one of his favorite characters from one of the storybooks he would read with his Maman and Papa. 

Adrien dutifully marked down the calendar each day to the circled date uncle Johnathan was due to arrive. When the day finally came Adrien was up with the sun. He dressed himself before crawling into his parent's bed and demanding they head to the airport immediately.

“Son,” Gabriel groaned sitting up in bed and scooping up his son, “Your uncle's flight doesn't arrive until after lunch.”

“But Papaa,” the boy protested, “What if he gets in early and there is no one there to meet him! He might forget to visit us.”

His mothers laugh could be heard from the other side of the bed.

“I am blaming you for this, my dear,” Gabriel half-heartedly grumbled, her laugh was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard and he couldn’t help but melt at the sound.

“Honey, you uncle won’t forget to visit us. I promise you. Now, why don’t we get your shoes off and the three of us can have a big cuddle before breakfast.” His mother's words were followed by surprise tickles as she scooped him up. Adrien was officially distracted.

Adrien didn’t protest much after that. The bed was turned into a pillow fort in which the family had a lazy morning full of cuddles. By the time they left the bed, it was decided a pancake brunch in the garden was in order. The morning passed and Gabriel headed to his studio to work while Adrien spent some time drawing some pictures for his uncle. Before Adrien knew it his mother had loaded him in the car with the Gorilla, as he had nicknamed their driver, and they were heading to the airport. Emilie laughed as her son bounced in his seat.

Adrien’s excitement turned to shyness the moment his uncle emerged from the arrivals hall.

“Emilie!” Johnathan called.

The siblings shared a long overdue embrace as Adrien hid behind his mothers leg.

“How was your flight little brother?” Emilie mumbled into her brother's shoulder, he was a solid head taller than her.

The siblings exchanged greetings as the Gorilla began to collect Johnathan's bags.

Adrien saw this and ran over. “I can help carry uncle Johnathan's things!” He insisted.

Johnathan and Emilie laughed at the little boy's antics and even the Gorilla chuckled as he passed the boy the smallest of his uncle's bags to carry.

“Adrien my boy! Look at you. So big and strong, how old are you now? You must be at least 10!” Johnathan exclaimed.

Adrien giggled, “No I am six and half!”

His uncle gasped with fake shock, “No way! But you are so big!”

The group continued to laugh and joke and catch up as they headed back to the car. Adrien was absolutely enthralled with the tales being spun by his uncle and even after they had been back at the mansion for a few hours his parents struggled to pull him away and let Johnathan get some rest. Johnathan absolutely adored his nephew however and indulged all his questions and requests. He was touched by the drawings Adrien had made for him.

After a few hours, Johnathan got ready to head out of the house by himself. Emilie knew he wanted to go visit their parents grave alone since it had been a while. She simply nodded, telling him she understood. Johnathan had taken their death hard and even the years of traveling the world had done little to heal those wounds.

Adrien, however, was not as understanding.

“Why can’t I go with uncle Johnathan to visit Meme and Papi. You take me all the time,” The serious frown on Adrien’s face made Emilie smile. 

“He will be back soon enough Adrien. Why don’t you go play with your toys? I need to go check on your father,” his mother soothed.

Adrien did what he was told. For a little while anyway. He got bored soon. He always preferred to have people to play with than be by himself. His mother would play with him a lot and sometimes Chloe would come over to play with him or his mother would take him out to play with her at the park or the hotel where Chloe lived. His favorite time was when his father played with him, once he was done working for the day. Adrien sighed. Everyone was busy at the moment.

Maybe his uncle would have some interesting books he could have a look at? He did promise to show him later.

With that thought, Adrien set out to find where his uncle's belongings had been put. It didn’t take him long. He knew which rooms were usually used as guest rooms. The second room he checked had the bags he recognized from the airport sitting on the bed. One bag in particular caught Adrien attention. He opened it to find a thick old book and a fancy box. He couldn’t read the book, it seemed to be in another language. The pictures, however, were the coolest thing Adrien thought he had ever seen. It was filled with superheroes. Adrien slowly and carefully turned the pages marveling at the different illustrations. He was most excited by the black hero who always wore a ring.

That was when Adrien remembered the box that had been with the book. Adrien set the book aside and opened the box. Inside was jewelry that looked the same as the heroes wore in the book.

“Awesome!” Adrien exclaimed, his eyes wide, “I am going to be the black cat hero!”

Adrien grabbed the ring and put it on and started running around the room pretending to fight bad guys.

“Kick! Wack! Punch! Scratch!,” He yelled, “I won’t let you hurt anybody, you evil minions!”

Adrien was so absorbed in his playing that he didn’t hear his mother calling for him down the hall. He had paused his playing and was taking a look at himself.

“Why don’t I have superpowers?” He sulked, “I want to have weapons and powers and claws!”

Emilie stood at the door. _I should have known he would get bored playing by himself. Perhaps we should go for a walk down to the park._ She thought to herself. 

But first, she had a little boy to scold. “Adrien! What do you think you are doing in your Uncles things. You should have waited for him to show you later.”

“But Mama, I want to be a superhero!” Adrien whined.

“No. Not now Adrien, lets put these things away and go for a walk to the park,” That should be enough to get him to out of his uncle's things without a fuss, Emilie hoped.

Emilie made her way over to the little boy picking up the box and book he had been playing with and noticed Adrien was wearing a ring from the box. Seeing his mother looking at the ring Adrien clenched his hand and hid it behind his back.

“No! I want to be a black cat hero with claws Mama!” Adrien had an almost panicked look on his face.

“Adrien Michael Agreste that ring is not yours and we need to put it back with your uncle's things,” Emilie held her hand out for the ring, “We can play superheroes at the park.”

“But I need the ring so I can have magic claws! I need it to make the claws come out!” Neither Adrien or Emilie noticed the slight static of magic filling the air as he worked himself up.

Just what ideas has this book given him! Emilie thought to herself. As much as she felt her patience wearing thin she knew she needed to calm down and reason with her son gently before things got out of hand. Maybe she could find another object for him to pretend to give him powers? “Adrien listen-“

Sensing his mother was not going to budge Adrien didn’t let her finish. “No! I need it Mama! I need the claws out to fight!”

With that, the magic that had been building in the air erupted and the power in the ring was unleashed. Emilie was in shock for mere seconds before she acted. She dove towards her son. Needing to protect him. There was very little she could do against the ancient magic her six-year-old was now playing with. But of course, the power contained in the ring was too much for a six-year-old to wield, forget about any form of control. That would be left up to a certain mischievous kwami. _You want claws kid? I can give you that._

When the magic cleared in the place of the little boy was a little black kitten. What was not expected however was the larger feline wrapped around it.

_Huh_. _Guess the kid summoned more power from me than I thought._ Shrugging, Plagg went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Emilie was struggling to make sense of the situation. _Ok ok ok. Ok. Stay calm. Stay calm for Adrien. We just need to wait for Johnathan to come back, he will know what to do! Yes, we will be alright if we just stay put._

Unfortunately during her internal freak out Adrien had been having a freak out of his own. The little kitten had the opposite idea of staying put and instead decided to vanish.

_Lovely, this is just purrfect._ Emilie grumbled to herself as she set off to find her son.


	2. Lost and found

Tom and Sabine had been having a rough day. They had several large orders to complete and everything that could go wrong was going wrong. It began with the morning delivery and finding out their supplier had messed up their order. Luckily they had been able to run out and find any ingredients that were missing, but by the time it was sorted they were two hours behind. On top of that they had to keep up with the flow regular customers and today of all days the bakery was extra busy! Both of them agreed they really should hire more help.

 _Well, let’s count our blessings._ Tom reasoned. _Not long ago_ _we were starting out only dreaming of being as busy as we are now, we just have a few kinks to work out._

Not five minutes after they had finished the final order for the day they got a call from one of their customers who wanted to make a last minute change. Of course, they obliged. They still had just about enough time and keeping their customers happy was important for them. By the time they were out on delivery, the clouds had begun to gather.

Sabine scowled at the sky. _It hadn’t been forecast for rain this morning._

She didn’t have long to ponder the strange weather as Tom called out needing her help as they rushed to get all the orders delivered on time. The two of them quickly figured out the most efficient routes and split up. By the time they had finally completed all the deliveries, miraculously on time, and met back near the bakery the rain had well and truly started. Tom and Sabine huddled together under an umbrella as they headed towards their favorite takeout shop before heading home. Marinette had been such a good girl they wanted to surprise her with dinner when they got back. That and they were both too exhausted from the day to want to cook.

Dinner in hand and the rain getting worse by the minute they were both anxious to get home. If Tom hadn’t fumbled with the umbrella for a moment as they were leaving the store they may have missed the distressed mewls coming from the alley. It was an impossible sound for them to ignore. Sabine went in search of the source of the sound while Tom’s hands were busy with the food and trying to keep the umbrella over them both. What Sabine found in the alley was a soaking wet black cat that appeared trapped at the bottom of an empty metal garbage can.

“Oh, you poor thing!” Sabine immediately pulled off her coat to scooped the cat up.

“Careful of her paw,” Tom warned. “It looks like she has some cuts on it from trying to climb out.”

“You’re right, the rim does look sharp. Let’s take her home for tonight. We can clean up her paw and contact a shelter in the morning,” Sabine reasoned.

The minute they were in the door Sabine was off to the bathroom to get a towel to help dry off the cat.

It only took six-year-old Marinette a moment to come to investigate. “Mama is she ok?”

“Yes sweetie, we just have to get her dry and warm, where is Meme? Did you have fun with her today?” Sabine tried to distract her daughter.

“Yes, we did lots of painting. She is helping dad get the table ready for dinner,” Mari replied.

“That's good, can you find a box sweetie and make it nice and comfy bed with a pillow and a small blanket? This kitty here needs a bed for tonight,” Marinette nodded at her mother's request and set off to do as she asked.

She found a nice sized box and put a pillow from her bed in the bottom. Finding a cat-sized blanket was a little harder. Going through her closet she decided her polar fleece jacket was nice and soft and would make a decent make-shift blanket. Meanwhile, Sabine had cleaned up the strays paws, disinfecting the wounds before wrapping some bandages around them and dried her off. She was surprisingly patient, Sabine suspected she was not used to being on the street. Hopefully, they would be able to find her owners in the morning.

They settled her in the box with a pillow and the make-shift jumper blanket next to the heater to keep her warm, and hopefully calm as the storm continued to worsen outside. Tom put out some food and water but she hardly seemed to care and simply lay there as the family went about their own evening meal. Marinette had trouble focusing on eating her dinner as she kept glancing over with worry. After dinner, she sat in the lounge petting the cat to calm her down.

Emilie appreciated the kindness but it didn’t little to ease her worry for her son. She hadn’t been able to find him before she got lost and trapped in that bin. She only hoped he had found shelter from the storm.

Marinette’s parents and grandmother had gone to bed not long after dinner since they had to be up early the next morning to open the bakery. Marinette had fallen asleep on the couch, so her parents covered her with a blanket and left her to rest. It was easier than moving her to her bedroom, the lounge was nice and warm and she was still close to their bedroom door if she needed them. Sometime later she was awakened by the sound of the storm and noticed the stray pawing at the window latch.

 _We really should give her a name,_ Marinette thought as she moved over to the window. _Even if papa says she can’t stay._

“Please don’t leave just yet,” Marinette pleaded, “You're injured and it’s raining.”

 _Well, of course, I know that little one._ Emilie grumbled, annoyed she had been caught. _But I have to make sure Adrien is safe._

“Are you worried about getting back home? It’s ok, we will help you in the morning,” Marinette scratched behind her ears gently.

Emilie noticed some books on the floor across the room. She jumped down from the window and made her way over to them. One of the books had a picture of a kitten on the front. She put out her paw on the picture and looked up at the girl. Maybe she would understand and open the window for her?

“You are looking for your kitten?” The little girl's eyes grew slightly teary at the realization.

Marinette only heard a meowing in response but took it as an affirmative. If she was lost she wouldn’t want her parents so worried about her. The kitten must also be very scared out there in the storm.

“Your injured, you won’t be able to get around with your paws just yet. But Maman and Papa found you close to here though, your kittens probably not far,” The little girl rambled.

And then in all her six-year-old brilliance, Marinette came up with a fantastic idea. She could go look for the kitten. “That's it!”

Marinette jumped up to find her coat and boots by the door.

Emilie, now realizing what the girl was intending to do tried to stop her. There was only so much head-butting and pulling her by her clothes she could do however. Marinette picked her up and tucked her into the makeshift bed.

“It’s ok, I will be back soon,” Marinette promised.

_Young lady, you are supposed to be in bed!_

By the time Emilie had managed to get out and follow her back to the door Marinette was gone and the door shut behind her.

 _I must be bad luck._ Emilie cursed. _Now there are two children out in the storm!_

There was only one thing for her to do right now. Emilie made her way to the room she assumed the girls parents were in and started scratching and meowing at the door.

…

Meanwhile, Marinette was making her way towards the park. The rain was heavy and cold and she wasn’t even sure she knew where she was going. Something told her that she was going in the right direction however so she kept following what felt like an invisible string guiding her. The park was only a short walk from her house. It didn’t take her long before she found herself in-front of a bush when the pulling stopped. She didn’t need it anymore because as she crouched down she found a small black kitten what sounded like sobbing under the bush.

“It’s ok now,” she whispered. “I’ll help you.”

She held out her hand for the kitten to sniff, “Come on, let’s go home. Your Maman is worried about you.”

When Adrien paused and sniffed her hand he knew the girl was telling the truth. He could smell his mothers familiar scent on her hand. There was something else about the way the girl smelled however, it was sweet and safe and _home._ He immediately went to rub his head against her hand. _This girl was his._ She wasted no time in scooping him up and holding him close. She wrapped him up under her coat trying to get him warm. He snuggled into her and started to purr.

 _She’s beautiful and kind and smells good._ Adrien thought. _I wonder if she is a princess._

Neither of them noticed the storm letting up. After a minute it was a mere drizzle as Adrien’s despair lessened. Who knew an emotional kid with the power of destruction could cause such trouble?

As Marinette began to walk them back home she ran into her frantic parents. Upon being woken and finding her gone her parents had rushed out of their house with their robes tied hastily over their pajamas.

“Marinette! Why on earth would you leave the house! How did you unlock the front door!?” Her mothers voice was panicked as she knelt down to make sure her daughter was ok.

_Tom would later realize in the chaos of getting home with the stray and hands full of food that the door had never been locked that night. Something he has been much more vigilant with ever since._

Marinette opened her coat to show her parents the kitten clutching to her for warmth. “I had to find her kitten Maman.” 

“We need to get you home and warm. Please never leave the house again without talking to us darling. That was very dangerous.” Her Papa scooped her up, taking care not to squish the kitten his daughter was holding.

_Her parents were too relieved finding her safe to question how she knew the kitten was lost or where to find it. Later thinking back on this night they would realize this was only the beginning of what could only be described as Marinette having episodes of unexplainable intuition._

“Sorry Papa, I was coming back home,” Mari was truly sorry for worrying her parents.

“Let’s get dry and warm sweetheart, we can talk more about this later,” he mother soothed. Rubbing her back as her father carried her home.

As the family made it in the door with their daughter Emilie let out a big sigh of relief. She had been pacing the entryway ever since they left after she woke them. It wasn’t until she heard a soft mewl from the bathroom as the parents dried their daughter and the small kitten they had found that she bolted into the bathroom. Relief washed over as she realized the little girl had actually managed to find her son. Adrien had not wanted to be taken away from Marinette but as soon as his mother was all over him he all but cried in relief. Sabine took them away settling them both in the makeshift bed, warm and dry. The two of them were exhausted and fell asleep not long after.

Marinette slept soundly with her parents in their bed for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't turn out quite like I imagined but I hope you enjoy! Next update soon.


	3. The kindness of bakers

When Johnathan had returned to the Agreste mansion after visiting his parents grave the last thing he had expected was to find an anxious Gabriel pacing by the front door.

"Johnathan! There you are. Are Emilie and Adrien with you," Gabriel asked peering over his brother-in-law's shoulder. 

"No Gabe, I headed out by myself a while ago? Why?" Johnathan asked.

"They aren't home. She would have let me know if she was heading out. I tried calling her. When I heard her phone ringing in the other room I realized and she left her phone, keys, and purse here." Gabriel's was becoming more and more panicked as he explained the situation. It was unusual for the usually exceptionally composed man. 

_That's strange,_ Johnathan thought, _Emilie hadn't mentioned heading out anywhere to him either._  He told Gabriel as much. "Did you talk to the staff. Is there anywhere she would go?" 

"None of the staff have seen her or noticed her leaving. I assumed she was with you. I could try calling the Bourgeois Hotel, she is close friends with Audrey. Perhaps she took Adrien over there to play with their daughter." Gabriel dialed the hotel.

_That doesn't explain her things being left behind and not letting you know she was heading out. Something is not right here._ Johnathan thought.

"See what they say. If she is not there let's head down to the police station." He suggested. "It may be too early to make a missing person report but it would be good to alert them anyway. Or see if they know anything."

Gabriel had been hoping it wouldn't come to that. He knew Emilie would be mad if he jumped the gun and caused a fuss but there was a lot not adding up here. That feeling only worsened after he got through to Audrey, who confirmed Emilie had not come by the hotel.

Johnathan, who was getting increasingly worried himself, spared the man a sympathetic glance. "Just let me grab my coat. The rain is really picking up," he noted glancing outside.

Entering his room Johnathan noticed immediately that things were not how he left them. A feeling of dread settled in his stomach.  _No. This can not be happening._ The artifacts that Johnathan had brought back from his most recent trip were powerful and, in the wrong hands, dangerous. He was meant to be delivering them to the guardian here in Paris. He had made sure to cast a heavy protection enchantment over the box to prevent it from being discovered or opened. Only those with a very strong affinity with one of the miraculous could have gotten past that enchantment. Yet here it was, out in the open, missing the miraculous of destruction. Anyone who knew about the miraculous would not have taken it alone. Not only was it more powerful when used alongside the miraculous of creation, it was essential to keep them balanced. All this begged the question  _what did Emilie and Adrien's disappearance have to do with this?_

Someone here must have seen something! Johnathan rushed back to the foyer where Gabriel was waiting. "Gabe, I need to know, no matter how insignificant it seems, did anything else unusual happen this afternoon while I was gone? Did any of the staff mention anything?"

Gabriel gave him a strange look but humored him. "The cook had to leave early but left dinner mostly prepared." He paused for a moment. "The housekeeper had to shoo a pair of black cats away that had somehow gotten into the house."

Johnathan paled.  _That can't be a coincidence._ "We don't need to go down to the police station Gabe. We need to be calling animal shelters to track down those cats." 

"Johnathan, what on earth are you talking about? How is that important right now?"

_This was going to be fun to explain._ With that, Johnathan proceeded to give Gabriel the most ludicrous, ridiculous explanation of what he suspected happened to his missing family. A magical lost artifact had turned them into cats, or at least had something to do with their disappearance. Cats who had been sent out onto the streets of Paris now in the middle of a storm. Despite if he fully believed him or not Gabriel went along with it for now. Both of them started calling shelters and animal rescue services hoping for a clue. Of course, Gabriel also made a call to the local police department to be safe. It was worth it, even if it turned out there was a simple explanation for their disappearance.

Later that evening, feeling defeated by the lack of leads they had been able to turn up, Johnathan returned to his room to get a few hours sleep. They had managed to call a few shelters, who promised to let them know if any black cats were brought in, but it was getting late and most of the shelters they needed to contact were now closed for the night. There was little more they could do except hope Emilie and Adrien would return by themselves once the storm had passed or keep searching for them in shelters and on the streets come morning. _Well_ , Johnathan thought, _there is one more thing I could try._

Johnathan picked up the pair of earrings from the box. "Tikki, I need your help."

A bright pink light filled the room as the kwami of creation appeared.

"What has that mangy cat done this time?" Was her only greeting.

Johnathan explained the situation to the Kwami. Tikki was concerned that Plagg's miraculous had been separated from hers. It was dangerous for them to not be kept in balance. The connection between the two however allowed her to sense what was happening with the ring. 

"It seems Plagg's next chosen was brought in contact with the ring but something doesn't seem right. He feels far too young. He doesn't seem to have much control over it either, and even though Plagg didn't transform him he has still, somehow, been able to draw magic from the ring. This storm does not bode well either. It is not natural, it is the result of the power of destruction being thrown around by a clueless scared child," Tikki explained.

"Adrien? A chosen? But he only came across the ring by mistake!" Johnathan insisted. "And what do you mean this storm is because of him. If Adrien and Emilie are in trouble we need to find them."

"Let me see what I can do." Tikki closed her eyes. She sensed someone was already looking for him. A little girl. She sensed only pure intentions and a desire to reunite the kitten with his mother. _Emilie is safe, now let's get the boy to safety._ Tikki used her magic to guide the girl towards the kitten. A few minutes later the rain started to ease. She continued to watch over the two small children as they made their way back home and reunited with their parents. After what seemed an agonizingly long time Tikki opened her eyes.

"They are both safe. They have been taken in by a kind family who owns a bakery a few streets away. It is their intention to call a shelter in the morning." Tikki used her magic to make a pen scribble the address of both the bakery and the shelter.

Johnathan sighed with relief, it was a shelter he had already contacted. "Thank you, Tikki."

_At least they are safe, hopefully we can get this mess sorted out in the morning._

...

Tom and Sabine were up with the sun the next morning and started preparing the bakery for the day. Marinette chose to stay upstairs with her Grandmother who had been visiting. She loved spending time with her Grandmother but she also wanted to play with the cats. It was Sunday so she didn't have school until tomorrow. Together with her Grandmother, Marinette fed the cats and made some makeshift cat toys. The mother cat didn't seem too interested but it certainly helped keep the kitten entertained. He would pounce and run around in circles as Marinette dragged some colorful craft feathers attached to a piece of string across the floor.

"Come on chaton," Marinette teased as she flicked the feathers around behind her.

Adrien pounced, enjoying the game. Until she started dangling them in the air. Yanking them further up as he jumped.

_No fair._ He whined.  _I can't reach._  

Marinette giggled at the frustrated meows.

"Marinette, let's give the kitten a break," Her grandmother suggested. They had been playing for a while and she was worried the kitten was getting worn out.

Marinette did as she was told and decided to pick out a game she could play for a little while. She pulled out a few and lay them out to choose from. Adrien, ever the curious kitten, decided to investigate. He was most pleased when he realized that she had his favorite game. He meowed and pawed at the case.  _Play this one._

Marinette laughed, apparently the kitten wanted her to play Mecha Strike. 

Emilie watched the pair fondly as Adrien settled onto the girl's lap and she started to fight her way through the levels of the game. She was relieved to know they were both safe but her mind wandered to the bigger problem at hand. How long were they going to be stuck as cats and how on earth were they going to make their way back home? 

Downstairs Sabine called an animal shelter, not long after they opened, and explained the situation to them.

"That was really kind of you to take them in Sabine. Unfortunately, we are full at the moment. Technically we are over capacity already. The storm last night caused a lot of animals to get lost and injured. We are flat out trying to treat and reunite them with their owners. I could put you in touch with another shelter but they are all having the same issues as us." The attendant thought for a moment about what to do, remembering the note that was left about two back cats last night. "I did have a call last night before we closed about two black cats, a mother cat, and her kitten. I am willing to bet he is their owner. It is the right area as well. Can I send him down to the bakery? If you are uncomfortable with that we can process them here once we have space and he can collect them here. If it turns out to be a dead end we should have space by tomorrow or in the next few days to take them."

"No, I understand. We are comfortable with him coming down to the bakery. I am sure we want to get these two sweethearts home as soon as possible. Please give him my number too so he can contact me if he needs."

With that sorted Sabine went back to running the counter as Tom continued to bake their delicious goods in the back. Not 20 minutes later she had a message from a Johnathan regarding the cats, confirming he could come down to the bakery. Of course Johnathan already knew this was the right place thanks to Tikki. He arrived not half an hour later. Johnathan was sat in the bakery with a coffee and a croissant while Sabine went upstairs to get the cats.

Marinette was, of course, sad it was time for them to go. Adrien was feeling much the same. He adored his new friend despite the circumstances. Emilie was wary about the situation not quite sure what was going on as Sabine packed them both into the box that held their makeshift bed. She pulled the pieces that made up the lid of the box up to stop them jumping out of it and running away. They were at the mercy of these strangers and while they were kind, she didn't like that one bit. She would have much preferred if they had had a chance to leave and head back home on their own. She just wanted to get home to Gabriel and be human again.

"Maman wait!" Marinette called as Sabine went take the cats downstairs.

"What is it Marinette?" She asked patiently.

Marinette held up the feathered toy she had made before. "I even added a lucky charm to it, see!"

Sabine smiled. Her daughter had thread beads onto the string, the middle one was a large green bead. She had done well, it was quite the fancy cat toy. "That was very sweet of you Mari, I am sure they will love it."

Without being able to delay any longer Sabine left with the cats back down to the bakery.

"Come now dear, want me to teach you how to sew a bag?" Her Grandmother offered, trying to cheer up her grandaughters now sullen mood.

Thankfully six-year-olds aren't too hard to cheer up as Marinette enthusiastically agreed.

Back downstairs in the bakery, Johnathan knew immediately after opening the box he had found them. Their eyes were a dead giveaway.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "Oh thank goodness you are safe."

Johnathan couldn't help but scoop his sister up and hold her close as if she would otherwise disappear. His other hand reached into the box to give Adrien a scratch between the ears. Emilie simply purred and nuzzled the side of her brother's neck. Partly thrilled he had found her and partly in reassurance she was ok. After a moment he put her back down into the box.

"Let's get you home," he whispered softly as he put her down. 

Sabine was happy to be able to reunite the three. The simultaneous look of recognition and relief on Johnathan's face was enough to confirm for her that he was their owner. If anything she would say the man cared for them as family instead of just pets.  _A lot of people consider pet's part of the family I suppose._ She was happy the two had such a loving home.

"Thank you so much for taking care of them. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to repay you," They assured him there was nothing of the sort.

Gabriel was waiting for Jonathan in the car outside. He knew immediately it must be good news by the look on Jonathan's face. 

"It's them," he assured him as he opened the box.

Emilie popped her head out and looked straight at Gabriel. Johnathan picked up the toy from the box and started playing with Adrien as the Gorilla began to drive them home.

_This is going to be hard to explain to him._ Despite her worries, she immediately went to his lap for comfort. He began stroking her tentatively. As if he didn't believe it wasn't all a dream. He felt the stress melt from her as his fingers ran up and down her back. She began to purr and as she peered up at him with those eyes any doubts he had vanished.

"My dear, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Gabriel murmured as Emilie purred away on his lap.  _We will figure this out I promise you._

Johnathan had a lot of explaining to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave any constructive feedback! Would love to hear your thoughts. Next update probably over the weekend. Hope you enjoyed.


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